And he gave it for his opinion, that whoever could make two ears of corn, or two blades of grass, to grow upon a spot of ground where only one grew before, would deserve better of mankind, and do more essential service to his country, than the whole race of politicians put together.

Note 1.As geographers, Sosius, crowd into the edges of their maps parts of the world which they do not know about, adding notes in the margin to the effect that beyond this lies nothing but sandy deserts full of wild beasts, and unapproachable bogs.Plutarch: Theseus. [back]

Note 2.Great fleas have little fleas upon their backs to bite em,And little fleas have lesser fleas, and so ad infinitum.And the great fleas themselves, in turn, have greater fleas to go on;While these again have greater still, and greater still, and so on.De Morgan: A Budget of Paradoxes, p. 377. [back]

Note 4.As the political parties of Whig and Tory are pointed out by the high and low heels of the Lilliputians (Framecksan and Hamecksan), those of Papist and Protestant are designated under the Big-endians and Small-endians. [back]

Note 5.In Sebastian Munsters Cosmography there is a cut of a ship to which a whale was coming too close for her safety, and of the sailors throwing a tub to the whale, evidently to play with. This practice is also mentioned in an old prose translation of the Ship of Fools.Sir James Mackintosh: Appendix to the Life of Sir Thomas More. [back]

Note 15.When the poem of Cadenus and Vanessa was the general topic of conversation, some one said, Surely that Vanessa must be an extraordinary woman that could inspire the Dean to write so finely upon her. Mrs. Johnson smiled, and answered that she thought that point not quite so clear; for it was well known the Dean could write finely upon a broomstick.Samuel Johnson: Life of Swift. [back]